282 Best Restaurants in Vietnam

Pizza, burgers, pastas, salads, and fish-and-chips are just some of the tasty bar food available day and night at this chilled-out, cheerful restaurant on the east coast—worth the drive if you want to hangout and enjoy the breezy space that includes a large deck, minigolf, swimming pool, petanque court, and pool table. Hosts Rory and Yoon preside over the café/bar, which has a genuinely welcoming atmosphere and fabulous vantage over the ocean.

The climb all the way to the rooftop of a residential apartment building is worth the effort for a rustic, home-cooked meal. A Saigon favorite, the extensive menu here features tapas-sized dishes that are great for sharing. The eclectic plates and bowls, faded walls, and heavy wood tables just add to the charming atmosphere. The restaurant is especially pretty at night with lanterns and fairy lights. The space is fan-cooled only, so lunch can be a somewhat sweaty affair. There is a second, slightly less atmospheric location at 131 Calmette.

The most social spot on the beach, Soul Kitchen attracts a year-round mix of expats and local visitors, with frequent live music and open mike events. During the day the shady grass frontage, pool table, and board games keep kids entertained, leaving parents free to relax in raised cabanas with a Vietnamese-French menu, wine list, and cold draft beer. Friday through Sunday, rain or shine, Soul Kitchen hosts live music events.

At Cassia Cottage Resort's in-house restaurant, whether you choose to dine beside a lily-filled pond in the manicured tropical garden, by the pool, or right on the beach, expect delicious Vietnamese and Mediterranean cuisine using fresh local produce. This is a great option for a special romantic evening that won't break the bank.

Staffed by alumni of Jimmy Pham's KOTO (Know One, Teach One) not-for-profit social enterprise helping at-risk and disadvantaged Vietnamese youth, this collaboration with Sofitel Saigon Plaza offers exciting contemporary cuisine in a stylish setting. Expect innovative Vietnamese fusion fare that blends imported ingredients with local flavors and techniques. The menu revolves around elevated versions of Vietnamese favorites and includes smaller plates designed for sharing as well as hearty mains.

Probably worthy of a Michelin star of its own, T.U.N.G Dining offers an astonishing fine-dining experience. Head chef and co-owner Hoang Tung worked in various Michelin star restaurants in Scandinavia before returning to his home city of Hanoi, and his experience is reflected in both the cuisine and the minimalist decor. There is only one set menu that consists of 15 to 20 courses, each one illustrating Tung's culinary wizardry. The menu changes with the season and the restaurant can make adjustments if you have dietary requirements. Let them know when you make your booking, which is essential.

No visit to Dong Ha is complete without a visit to this cheerful spot in the heart of town. It's both a charity café (Mr Tam employs and supports deaf people in the area) and a one-stop information shop, without the hard sell. The menu is a wholesome mix of excellent Vietnamese and Western staples, including pizza, banh mi, and half-decent espresso. Tam also employs local war veterans and offers excellent tours of the DMZ and surrounding area.

If you are staying overnight in Dong Ha, Tam's also offers decent accommodations at very cheap prices (starting at 160,000d) as well as guided tours to the DMZ.

A visit to Con Son isn't complete without a seafood-focused meal at Thu Ba. Chef Thu Ba works her magic in the kitchen while her daughter Thuy works the guests in the homey front section, recommending dishes from the extensive menu full of Vietnamese seafood, pork, and beef, plus hot pot dishes (the slipper lobster is highly recommended).

Vegans and vegetarians descend on this hole-in-the-wall ramen joint for their tofu, tempeh, and other meat alternatives, but the rich broth will likely tickle omnivores' taste buds, too. The new location is bigger than before, but you can still watch the Japanese ramen chef meticulously prepare your meal before slurping it up.

For tasty, sophisticated cuisine, there's no better place in Phong Nha than The Villas, the main restaurant at Victory Road Villas. An immaculate setting close to the Son River is an important string to the venue's bow. But equally enchanting is a small but perfectly formed menu that encompasses international and Vietnamese cuisine with highlights including duck confit and a salmon filet with caper mash potatoes, asparagus, and orange sauce. 

As the first fully interactive street food experience in Vietnam, this buzzy, upscale food hall, owned by local-celebrity chef Ms. Vy, attracts a steady stream of enthusiastic foodies keen to take a culinary tour of Hoi An’s gastronomic classics. The menu here is visual, and diners are invited to wander among the various food stations where traditional dishes like cau lao noodles, banh mi, and savory country pancakes are made to order, to be devoured on simple bench seating arranged in the central courtyard.

With meat as the staple fare of the Northwest, it comes as some surprise to find that Dien Bien Phu's top restaurant is a wholly vegetarian affair—a delicious one at that. The owner is an English tutor, which ensures that service is much less spotty than it tends to be elsewhere in the more remote regions of Vietnam. Despite Dien Bien's Phu's mythical status in the country's history, there's nothing revolutionary about the food here, but it is tasty, including vegetarian spring rolls.

An assortment of antiques and a jungle of potted-plants add panache to this humble family-run restaurant, which has been in business for a decade. It's no wonder, because the home-style Vietnamese dishes of meat, seafood, or vegetable stir-fry served with rice are delicious and filling.

This intricately designed café is a feast for the eyes. Its sharp angles, giant staircases, and glowing skylights make it feel more like an architectural display than a place to eat, but the coffee and sandwiches are worth the visit. The coffee is good and there is ample seating.

A centrally located café-restaurant, Alpaca's quirky, creative atmosphere pairs nicely with its versatile menu of coffee, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, brunch bites, pastas, and burritos, all prepared with great care.

There’s good reason this café, conveniently located just across the road from the cable car station, has been in business for over a decade: this plant-filled oasis has pretty views of the verdant valley, as well as a delectable brunch menu.

Midway between the Reunification Palace and Notre Dame cathedral, overlooking the tall trees of April 30 Park, this is a great place to linger, whether for a meal or just a smoothie or coffee. The flavors are Mediterranean and Middle Eastern, the staff is attentive, and the location is prime. The appeal of Au Parc, in a restored colonial-era shopfront, is further enhanced by the children's playroom upstairs, which is supervised by a nanny on weekends from 11 am to 4 pm while brunch is served.

Slap-bang in the heart of the backpacker district, this long-standing and much loved Indian restaurant serves a great selection of curries, tandoori, tikka, vegetarian dishes, breads, and Southern Indian specialties. It's an unassuming, clean, and friendly little place, but if you don't feel like venturing out, they deliver throughout Ho Chi Minh City.

Local families who come in droves to this popular no-frills diner make out-of-town visitors feel warmly welcome, even if you don't master the art of rolling the perfect banh xeo. There’s no menu; just pull up a stool and within minutes you’ll be presented with pork skewers, crispy pancakes stuffed with bean sprouts, deep-fried shrimp spring rolls, rice paper, various greens, a satay-style dip, and an array of condiments. Go hungry; portions are large.

This two-story restaurant made of bamboo is one of the first spots to stop for a bite once you enter Tam Coc Village. The goat and pork dishes get rave reviews and the service helps Bamboo stand out as a tourist favorite. You will almost certainly be offered a free fruit dessert or a shot of rice wine. Head up the stairs for a nice view of the limestone-filled rice paddies.

Hai, from Hai’s Eco Conservation Tour, runs this bamboo restaurant with his family and serves delicious dishes every day from 7 am until 10:30 pm. Try the fresh fruit smoothies. You can also take part in a morning cooking class that includes a visit to the local market.

The in-house restaurant at this friendly eco-lodge serves fresh local seafood, vegetarian dishes, and lau (hotpots), which will be paired with a terrific view. Don't miss the house specialty, tempura shrimp, or book a beach barbecue for two. It's wise to make a reservation, as the restaurant's capacity is limited.

Located only a few meters away from Tam Coc Harbor, The Banana Tree Hostel-Kitchen-Bar is a large social hub and outdoor restaurant that offers Italian coffee and a range of comfortable seating options. Their menu is small but expertly executed. The Vietnamese salad and snacks are a delicious choice, and the Western food hits the spot. It's a very youth-oriented spot these days, so expect a rambunctious atmosphere.

Don't be put off by the grungy interior of this restaurant. The quality of the decor is in inverse proportion to the quality of the food. This favorite among locals serves only six dishes, all specialties of the region. The price of 40,000d per dish should allow you to try them all—if you're hungry enough.

Banh khot (small, crispy rice flour pancakes topped with seafood that you wrap in baby mustard leaves) is Vung Tau's signature dish and locals rate Banh Khot Goc Vu Sua as the best in class. This is simple, inexpensive, and 100% delicious local street food although served in an indoor setting. There's just one dish available here; simply choose your topping: shrimp or squid.

A no-frills, family-run institution, Banh Xeo 46A is the go-to place for one of southern Vietnam's most cherished culinary creations: banh xeo (literally, "sizzling crepe")—a crispy pancake made with rice flour, coconut milk, and a smidgen of turmeric, and filled with bean sprouts, onion, shrimp, and pork. Break off a piece and wrap it up in a giant mustard leaf along with a handful of herbs and greens, and dunk it in a fish sauce-based dip laced with chilies. The menu has been expanded to include a nice range of Vietnamese dishes but the banh xeo is still the star. Popular with tour groups and food tours, there's a room with air-conditioning, but sitting outside and watching the food being made is more fun.

One of Central Vietnam's culinary gifts to the world is its banh xeo (savory crepe). Made from a basic blend of rice flour, turmeric, and coconut milk and stuffed with other ingredients such as shrimp, pork, mung beans, and diced green onions, these delicious treats are best torn off and wrapped in a lettuce leaf and dunked in a nuoc cham dipping sauce made with fish sauce and chili. One of the best places in Danang to sample the delicacy is at alleyway eatery Ba Duong.

Opened in 1995, Banh Xeo Cay Phuong only serves Central Vietnam–style banh xeo (sizzling pancakes), meaning they are smaller and have less filling than southern-style ones. A default order at this local family-run shop is four palm-size pancakes, but you can order as many as you like for 10,000d each. Notice the original sign hand-painted in classic South Vietnamese typescript.

A basic, often busy joint designed for Vietnamese family-style eating, ordering different meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes to share, the house specialty is com ca kho to (catfish in claypot) and sweet-and-sour soup with catfish or shrimp. The service can be hit or miss when busy.

This inspired little beach club 15 km (10 miles) from Hue has shady beach cabanas, hammocks, and a large cobalt-blue fishing boat that serves as the bar. It's a laid-back place, with a simple Vietnamese seafood menu, where you feel a world away from the annoyances of the city. They make it easy to stay with a few huts housing dorm-style accommodations. Its sister accommodation Villa Louise with tastefully designed ocean view villas and a swimming pool is a gem in the crown of this stretch of pristine beach. The Beach Bar is on private land, and you pay 100,000d on weekdays and 150,000d during weekends and on holidays to enter (which is refundable against food and drink orders).